When you realize you need to change ur technique

[kiwlm]

Let say after playing for like years, you just realized that your technique pulled you back, and you just get to know the "better" technique, what will you do?

Do you stop practicing all the songs/licks, and just concentrate on scales/arppegios to get the technique right? Then go back to the songs/licks when you think you managed to get the technique right?

Or you spend like 50% of the time to practice the technqiue, and remaining 50% to practice the licks?

I realize practicing on techniques 100% of the time might be very boring...

Example of new techinques would be like maybe
thumb anchored on pickup -> floating thumb
raking -> alternating fingers when coming down
no muting -> muting with thumb/pinky/ring

[Goldsac]

I try and think of a song that I can integrate the technique into. Its fun more fun that way, and its no miracle that i pick up on things 10000x faster if its enjoyable.
For example, in Metallica's The Four Horsemen (Mechanix for you Mustainers), I worked on my double thumbing by putting it into the verse. The rhythm is duh-duh-duh-DAH, duh-duh-duh-DAH = thumb-thumb-thumb-pop, thumb-thumb-thumb-pop.
Sure, I've never heard a song so bastardized, but it was fun as hell!

[dTune]

At first, all you can think of is the new technique. After a while when it's starting to come to you, you start fitting it in songs.

[Blackbird]

It doesn't have to be boring.

Practice what you usually play, using the new technique.

[kiwlm]

Originally Posted by Blackbird

It doesn't have to be boring.

Practice what you usually play, using the new technique.

Actually I think my first post was a bit misleading, what I meant is that you have figured out that you are using the wrong technique, and need to learn a new one, let's take raking for example, you are so used to raking, and now you feel that you should better off not use raking.

But for all the songs you play, your right hand will automatically rake. So what do you do? Do you try to practice not raking on simple stuffs first, until you got it right, then slowly try the technique on all the songs you know? If you were to practice all the other songs still with raking, that's going to kill the learning curve right?

p/s: not meaning raking is a bad technique... :-)

[Blackbird]

Originally Posted by kiwlm

Actually I think my first post was a bit misleading, what I meant is that you have figured out that you are using the wrong technique, and need to learn a new one, let's take raking for example, you are so used to raking, and now you feel that you should better off not use raking.

But for all the songs you play, your right hand will automatically rake. So what do you do? Do you try to practice not raking on simple stuffs first, until you got it right, then slowly try the technique on all the songs you know? If you were to practice all the other songs still with raking, that's going to kill the learning curve right?

p/s: not meaning raking is a bad technique... :-)

You'd help us help you if you were specific with your problem. Is the problem that you're overraking?

If that's the case, simply go back to square one as far as your plucking hand is concerned. Practice all the basslines you know slowly and deliberately, making sure you're getting it right. You might not get it right the frst or the second or the third time. You just have to keep doing it until you get it right and then keep repeating it until it's second nature to you.

Does that mean you should never rake again? No. While you're practicing the new technique, you might find a place raking is the perfect thing to do and you should make sure you do it because it will enhance the song and because you can.

The problem with leraning something the wrong way the first time is that you have to unlearn the bad habits (if you have any) before you can make real progress. You just have to keep plowing ahead with it without a deadline. Just keep working on it dilligently and one day you'll realize you're doing it right and your playing will be better for it.

[kiwlm]

Originally Posted by Blackbird

You'd help us help you if you were specific with your problem. Is the problem that you're overraking?

My poor attempt of trying to generalize the dillemma that I am facing.

I am not mainly worried of raking, but more of right hand muting techniques, either with the thumb, ring or pinky.


Going back to square one is what I meant by boring myself down, well for like muting, I would assume that I would need to go back to scales/arppegios to make sure I have muted all the strings playing most of the scales, and then move on to 1 song, 2 songs and so on...

Darn, why is it so hard to find a good bass teacher here in Malaysia...

[Blackbird]

Originally Posted by kiwlm

I would assume that I would need to go back to scales/arppegios to make sure I have muted all the strings playing most of the scales, and then move on to 1 song, 2 songs and so on...

Darn, why is it so hard to find a good bass teacher here in Malaysia...

It certainly wouldn't hurt to practice the basics, but you make it sound like you'd be stuck doing that forever. It doesn't have to be that way.

Since the goal of perfecting your technique is to apply it to the things you play and since the perfecting of your technique will be reflected on whatever you play, What your fretting hand is playing is secondary as long as you are properly practicing the technique. Does that mean practice the hardest thing you know right off the bat? No, but you can try it and it can be your challenge piece.

Find something you play that is conducive to improvement and practice that, as well as the basics.